1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile livestock feeding and pest control devices and more particularly pertains to a new portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus for providing an easily transportable cattle care station capable of supporting a variety of cattle care implements including salt, mineral, a livestock oiler, and a livestock duster.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of mobile livestock feeding and pest control devices is known in the prior art. One illustrative example of these previously known devices includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,738 to Kemnitz, which teaches a mobile livestock feeder. The apparatus of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,738 patent utilizes an oiler tank which is mounted on a gooseneck hitch arm and does not have any slope or cant to the tank which would facilitate either filling or draining the tank.
Another illustrative example of previously known devices is U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,586 to Brewster which discloses a livestock oiler which utilizes a tank suspended between two sets of pipe legs. Again the tank is designed to be maintained in a level condition when the apparatus is placed on level ground, but placement on an uneven or non-level ground (such as is commonly found in pastures). This design may deprive one or both spray assemblies of oil even if oil remains in the tank, no slope to the tank is provided, especially since the oiler tank is connected to both sets of pipe legs at opposite ends of the device.
Thus, under conditions that are often found in pastures and field, the know oilers can prematurely stop dispensing oil before their tanks are actually empty.
In these respects, the portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an easily transportable cattle care station capable of supporting a variety of cattle care implements including salt, mineral, a livestock oiler, and a livestock duster.